“Relationships between objects and places can be described with mathematical precision.”
-Erikson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative
In a kindergarten class, a group of four children were excitedly planning to act out the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff. I sat nearby and watched as the children marked out space for the stage, then dragged props from around the room. For 15 minutes I watched as the children negotiated the perfect placement for the bench (the bridge), a blue princess dress (the creek), chairs (hillside), and finally, a spot for all the characters to stand. Without any adult interaction, the children negotiated using language, “on top of, under, over there, next to, up, down” and many more. After organizing every last detail, it occurred to me that without experience with these spatial terms the play would not have been a success.
“Children explore spatial concepts through play from an early age. For instance, building with blocks and playing with puzzles have both been linked to stronger spatial skills. Additionally, young children who hear more spatial words from their parents tend to talk about space more themselves, and these same children perform better on later spatial reasoning tasks.”
-Eason & Levine, 2017
The language we use to describe an object’s position in space helps children to learn and understand spatial relationships. This activity provides an opportunity to use this rich spatial language.
Playful Invitation
1. Prepare: For this activity gather an assortment of natural materials and paper/writing tools or a camera (like many people have on their phone).
Arrange the materials in any way. Be sure some items are placed in what could be described as, “next to, on top of, under, above, below, in front of or behind.” Once materials are arranged, snap a photo or draw a quick sketch.
Observe the child throughout the interaction. Use the Invitation to Play Documentation Tool to collect data.
2. Invite: Show the child the drawing/photo and ask if he/she would like to try and recreate the picture.
3. Play: Work alongside the child, observing as he/she positions objects to recreate the picture. If necessary, guide the child using spatial relationship language (next to, on top of, under, above, below, in front of and behind).
Ask open-ended questions: How did you know to put that one there? OR Where does this belong?
Model thinking: Talk out loud as you place an item. I see the leaf belongs under the lily pod, so I’ll put it down first and then I’ll put the lily pod on top of the leaf!
4. Reflect and Assess: Did the child show an understanding of spatial relationships? Which position words did they know and which did they struggle with? Did the child follow directions when asked to place an object in a certain position? Did the child use spatial relationship words on their own to describe their thinking?
Ready: The child understands position words (in, on, under, up, down) and follows directions related to proximity (next to, above, beside).
Ready to move on: The child recreates the arrangement with the assistance of an adult, describing the position of objects using spatial terms.
Extend: Lessen the assistance you provide and encourage the child to recreate on their own. When the child finishes ask him to use spatial language to describe where he placed the items OR while the child works have her talk about where she places objects and why.
Challenge the child to create another arrangement that you will recreate.
Math language:
Precision- exact and accurate
Relationships- the state of being connected
Spatial Positions- an objects position in space in relation to other object/s (up, down, above, below, next to, under, etc.)
Spatial Relationships- how an object is located in space in relation to another object.
Resources:
Clements, D.H., & Sarama, J. (2017)*
Eason, S.H., & Levine, S.C. (2017)*
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2006). Curriculum focal points for prekindergarten through grade 8 mathematics: A quest for coherence.*
*full citations can be found on the Research page
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